The Mughal Empire established approximately two hundred years of history, but records of this history have focused on the lives of emperors. and portrayed women as mere partners in producing and raising heirs to the throne. Domestic life was considered reserved for private and family affairs. But in reality, domestic life blurs the line between public and private. The lack of understanding of domestic life in the Mughal era comes from the people chosen to write the story. In his book "Domesticity and Power in the Early Mughal World", Dr. Ruby Lal notes that Abu-I-Fadl's Akbarnamah is considered authentic "because it was written by a man who was well versed in political and official actions of the government and enjoyed not only the confidence but also the friendship of the emperor. However, she also questioned the authenticity of focusing only on the official actions of the empire. As the daughter of Babur, sister of Humayun and aunt of Akbar, Gulbadan Begum recorded history from a completely different perspective. Gulbadan Begum focused on women's situations, family and lives. However, historical records like that of Gulbadan Begum are rare. Because those responsible for the empire generally recorded history, much of the known history comes from a male perspective that only praises their ruler. Gulbadan Begum's writings through different rulers and obstacles provided a raw understanding of the home and empire from a woman's perspective. An understanding of the "domestic" affects how one interprets the changing public presence and political role of women, which, in turn, changes how one understands the history of Mughal India. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay First of all, understanding the “domestic” allows us to better appreciate the evolution of women's public presence in the Mughal era. One of the most notable contexts for women was the haram. Many accounts of the haram speak of it as a place where "pleasure (in all its forms) was the main competitive product." However, contrary to popular belief, the haram became a "well-structured physical neighborhood" during Akbar's regime. It was this “structure” that established a hierarchy among women and allowed some to be closer to the emperor than others, both in the private setting of the bedroom and in the public setting of the court. royal. An example of this hierarchy is obtaining the title of Maryam-uz-Zamani if ​​a woman gives birth to an heir. In addition to already being the mother of the heir, obtaining a new title provides a feeling of superiority within the haram which results in the public elevation of the heir and engagement with the emperor at a higher level. The exclusive nature of the haram made it inaccessible to outsiders, allowing stereotypical assumptions about domestic life to overshadow much of its reality. As a result, the role of women was forced to appear far less important than it was. However, subtle stories of women making valuable claims against the emperor or making their presence publicly known began to reveal how domestic life was much less private than initially thought. The dynamic role of noble women throughout Mughal history extended far beyond the walls of the haram. Arguably the most important woman in an emperor's life is his own "Visible God,” his mother. Despite the fact that the haram became more institutionalized under Akbar's regime, her mother broke down the barriers that prevented women from getting involved outside of the haram. When Prince Salim plotted to kill Abu-l Fazl, very few people chose to support him. However, Akbar's mother Hamideh Banu and Akbar's aunt Gulbadan Begum asked the emperor for forgiveness on behalf of Prince Salim and Akbar forgave Salim. Although it is not uncommon for a woman to express her opinion in family matters, it is important to note that Hamideh Banu managed to prevent the emperor from punishing a crime. The presence of Hamideh Banu was also noticed by the “public”. A Jesuit priest, Father Rudolf Aquaviva, referred to Hamideh Banu as the emperor's mother or the "queen mother" on several occasions. The fact that Father Rudolf Aquaviva only mentioned one woman, Hamideh Banu, and otherwise mentioned the emperor and princes indicates that Hamideh Banu had a large public presence. It can also be inferred that her presence was much greater than that of any other woman because no other women were mentioned. Overall, as the role of the haram changed, so did the presence of women beyond the walls of the haram. Generally, women who exercised a public presence also had great value in the eyes of the emperor and were at the top of the hierarchy formed within the haram. The creation of a national institution played an important role in determining who would have greater influence outside and indicated a growing sense of public involvement on the part of prominent women. Thus, a thorough understanding of how domestic life developed with a formal haram explained how hierarchy in the haram reflected the power granted to some women over others in the eyes of the emperor and, therefore, of its decisions and policies. familiarity with the “domestic” allows for a better understanding of the evolution of the political role of women in the Mughal era. The most common political role for women was ". . . the forging of political partnerships” through marriage. An emperor may want to marry another leader's daughter in hopes of gaining territory or an emperor may agree to marry another leader's daughter to ensure protection. The Rajput queens who married Akbar are a key example of a woman's political advantage. By “accommodating the whole world through a marital grid,” Akbar embraced new cultures and created alliances with new domains. These alliances made Akbar more responsive to his non-Muslim voters. Additionally, his multiple marriages sparked debate over the religious legality of his multiple alliances. Unknowingly, each queen who entered Akbar's life shaped his leadership approach to his constituents and created conflicts with his religious advisors. By the nature of many of the emperor's marital alliances, it is inevitable that political interests determine domestic relations. However, these domestic relationships also altered the emperor's political approaches and discussions. Along with the political alliance of initiating marriage, the nature of marriage itself may also indicate a relationship between the domestic and the political. A woman's traditional domestic role is to support and provide for her husband and family in times of need. Following this role, Nur Jahan provided considerable support in ruling an empire, while providing for his family, when Jahangir lost himself to opium and alcohol addiction. The emperor had recalled the story of Nur Jahan filling his.